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It's not a bad idea after all to go bare faced sometimes, but make sure you have healthy and glowing skin. Ensure drinking water and using sunscreen to get that glow.

Here are some tips to boost your skin's health :

Drink lots of water:

Every system and function in our body depends on water. Skin is no different. Dry skin has less resilience and is more prone to wrinkling, so ensure you take in enough water to reach your skin and keep it hydrated. Two to three litres a day is usually about right.

Multi-task:

Looking after your skin doesn't have to stop at home, so carry a multi-tasking quick-fix with you in your handbag for dewy skin on the go. A water spray can be used to cool and calm even the most sensitive complexions. Not only does it tone the skin, but it can also be used to set make-up and refresh skin on a hot day, as well as soothing and softening skin on the go.

Always remove make-up:

It sounds obvious, but one in five women still admit to sleeping with make-up on when away from home. During summer nights, one is naturally warmer and sweatier and if make-up is left on overnight, and bacteria is more likely to develop, leaving pores blocked and resulting in an increased chance of waking up with bad skin outbreaks - whether spots or dry patches.

Stick to products meant for your skin:

The internet can give out weird and wonderful information, but not all of it is accurate. Be aware that not everything you read will work. A common mistake is using toothpaste on spots - toothpaste is meant for your teeth which are one of the hardest surfaces in your body. Using a product on your skin which is actually intended for the teeth will damage your skin and cause it to completely dry out.

Wear SPF throughout the year:

It's easy to assume that just because the sun isn't out, you don't need to use a product with SPF in it. But UVA rays are constantly present, no matter the season or the weather and these are the ones that cause the skin to age because they are able to penetrate much deeper into the surface of the skin, damaging the cells beneath.

With growing awareness, people have become more health as well as beauty conscious. In this aesthetic-loving age, it is very essential to let people know that what they consider 'aesthetic' is also related to their skin.

Importantly, manifestations of your nutritional status as well as body's nutritional needs reflect on the skin's health.

Foods that disturb water balance Dehydration causes drying of the skin. Wrinkling is a common side effect of lack of moisture in the skin. Dehydration and acne are interlinked because drying of skin and dead skin cells coming together cause acne.

Excess salt Excess salt retains additional fluid in the body causing swelling and a puffy look to the skin. The skin texture is spoilt on prolonged salt abuse. Papads, pickles, salted foods, table salt, brined/canned food products are the potential sources of salt to the body.

Excess caffeine Caffeine is a known stimulant which increase the cortisol production in the body and enhances the ageing process by thinning the skin. This dehydrates the skin and even leads to wrinkling. In addition, caffeine is a diuretic which further increases the risk of dehydration. So beware when you decide to go for an additional helping of coffee, tea or chocolates too!

Alcohol Alcohol inhibits the Anti-Diuretic Hormone secretion thus causing dehydration. Furthermore, it also causes vasodilatation, which then leads to excess water loss through the skin.

Foods with high glycemic load These foods cause drastic fluctuations in the blood sugar. This leads to excess secretion of insulin and androgens during the high and low bouts respectivel. A major reason to contribute to surplus sebum production, enhanced skin cell division and aggregation of dead skin cells - leading to acne.

Excess sugar Not literally only sugar, but even jaggery and honey!

Aerated beverages Aerated drinks can be nightmarish for the skin. Exceptions are the so-called diet-cokes and the family. But their caffeine content makes them the villains for skin health.

Processed foods Refined or processed foods like maida (refined flour) and its products, canned and sweetened fruits and juices are low in fiber content, thus increasing the glycemic load. Moreover the processed foods are often high in their salt/sodium content. As a by-product of processing, these also lose the nutrients of the parent food products important for skin health.

Foods that enhance free-radical production Free radicals are known to disrupt the skin's structure by destroying collagen and elastin; the fibres that support the skin structure. They also cause damage at the cellular level by disturbing the DNA structure.

Red meat Consumption of red meat, especially fat-laden parts can lead to inflammatory reactions. This is by the virtue of saturated fat content of meats. In excess, free radicals generated overpowers the anti-oxidation capacity of the free radical scavengers in the body.

Fried foods and hydrogenated fat Excess heat application like during frying of foods and production of hydrogenated fat (margarine, vanaspati ghee) leads to oxidation of fatty acids and destruction of anti-oxidant nutrients like vitamin E, omega-3 fats present in the oils/fat.

Excess use of artificial sweeteners/colours/flavours These chemicals lodge into our systems and are difficult to flush out of our body. Overuse and inability to flush them out in time could be the pre-cursor for free radical production.

Crash diets Crash diets affect skin health through all the 3 mechanisms discussed before. Dehydration is a side effect of crash dieting. Studies suggest that consuming lot of water throughout this phase barely helps and this is because body doesn't retain water due to nutritional deprivation and lack of balanced meals.

Crash diets are known to cause dramatic fluctuations in blood sugar levels, no wonder acnes are so common amongst anorexics and bulemics.

Suffering from hair loss? Include these foods in your diet to maintain healthy mane.

Eggs:

Rich in biotin, a B vitamin essential for hair growth and overall scalp health, eggs are great for hair. Include these protein-rich foods in your diet or you can even opt for a homemade hair mask containing egg and olive oil.

Mix two egg whites with four tablespoons of olive oil. Make it into a thick paste and apply it on your hair. Leave it for 30 minutes and then rinse. Some other high-biotin foods include peanuts, almonds, wheat bran, avocado and low-fat cheese.

Spinach:

A good source of folate and iron, this leafy vegetable can go a long way in inducing hair growth. Folate helps building red blood cells, which then carry oxygen to the hair follicles. Have spinach regularly as a part of your salad.

Bell peppers:

The colourful red, yellow and green bell peppers are great source of vitamin C, which is necessary for hair health. Vitamin C is needed to ensure that there is enough iron in red blood cells to carry oxygen to hair follicles. It is also used to form collagen, a structural fiber required for hair follicles to stay healthy. Vitamin C deficiency can lead to dry, splitting hair that breaks easily.

Lentils:

Along with tofu, soybeans, starchy beans, and black-eyed peas, lentils are a great vegetarian source of iron-rich protein, which is necessary for cell growth, including hair cells.

Sweet potatoes: Rich in vitamin A and beta-carotene, sweet potatoes are great for hair growth.

Some other beta-carotene-rich foods like carrots, kale, dark green lettuces, asparagus, and pumpkin can also work wonders on your hair.